And gay.
I read it as saying that “that sort of man never marries” – and, perhaps, never has sex with a dude either – because he is in denial so deep that he confuses his esthetic appreciation/idealism of women with an erotic appreciation; and, so, somehow, something or other always seems to come between him and women he thinks he is in love with, that prevents marriage, but it is a thing he never consciously identifies and any name he gives it is an excuse. (I presume many gay men do have an esthetic appreciation of women, or how would you find any in the fashion industry?) The phrase “The Life Force passes it [the poetic temperament] by” is apt for a sexual orientation that forestalls reproduction.
But, that might not have been what Shaw meant at all. The whole point of the play, and of the “Don Juan in Hell” subplay, is that the Life Force is not poetic or esthetic, it is something entirely different. That is why you will find the first worshipped in Heaven and the second in Hell. Man and Superman dates from a time in Shaw’s life when he fancied himself a philosopher. (Mistakenly, IMO.) To get some insight, read the preface to the play, “Epistle Dedicatory to Arthur Bingham Walkley.”
Or, he might have meant both at once. We have to guess, because the idea that Tavy was closeted-and-in-denial was something Shaw could not have made explicit in a play, then; for the same sociocultural reasons that such deep denial existed.
What makes Higgins attractive to teenage girls is that he is a rich older man who sweeps into Eliza’s life and rescues her from a life of drudgery and poverty. Then the power of their love overcomes all the obstacles in their way. Eliza could have a comfortable life with Freddy and Higgins could have gone on with the comfortable and happy life he had, but their love led them to upset everything for each other. This kind of powerful love is very appealing to the average melodrama loving teenage girl. Higgins’ treatment of Eliza is abysmal, but the sad fact is many adolescent girls prefer men who treat them poorly and thus have a different reaction to their dynamic.
Everybody always misremembers the last line as Higgins ordering Eliza to get his slippers, but he doesn’t. He says “where the devil are my slippers.” For the first time in the movie, he’s not ordering her around.
I think this line also acknowledges, along with the housekeeper’s dialogue before, that she does have a place in his life (and in the household). Its not the romatic ideal, he doesn’t sweep her into a kiss or anything, but she is needed and desired there.
Considering the lonely life she had before, (and her treatment by her father, who basically sold her for 5 pounds) it is a clear improvement.
In a traditional romance, she would have gone off with Freddy, and Higgins would have filled the “fairy godmother” role.
Higgins is a bully, but mostly in the sense that a drill sergeant is, I think. “Look, Eliza, you asked me to teach you to speak as a lady speaks. I am doing everything I can, using everything I know. We have been at this for 18 hours a day for five weeks [or whatever it is] and you have made hardly any progress. Now, can you do this or not?”
In college, we read Wuthering Heights. Almost all of the girls in class thought Heathcilff to be a romantic yet misguided character, and forgave him for all his monstrous trespasses because, “he looooves her!!!”
Did they think Cathy was a manipulative little tease?
I anyone in that house could have been civil to one another for five minutes, you wouldn’t have a story. Nineteenth century Jerry Springer. Today it would be a restraining order and a court-ordered psychiatrist. Gah.
Damn you 've got me confused now.
It could be that I’ve been ascribing all the wrong motives to a completely different work all these years.
I blame my parents myself, that and the drugs.
No, it is a character from the old comic strip Hairbreadth Harry.
Nah, he lost me for keeps when he hung the dog.
I was shocked when my grandma told me she’d named my mom after Cathy…turns out she only ever saw the movie version.
His insensitivity is in regarding her as an experimental subject, not a person.
At least he starts at that point.
Well, I never said he was an angel. 
He’s definitely the kind of man who would teach a boy to swim by throwing him overboard.
I knew that, I should included the ;).
I started this thread back in June of 2002 discussing the ending of My Fair Lady (Fenris is always interesting.).
Oops, sorry! 